The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Tangerine Dream’. Echinacea is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated as a fourth generation seedling from a planned breeding program using the unpatented parents Echinacea paradoxa and Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Giant’ for the initial cross. The exact parents of this selection are unnamed proprietary, unreleased plants.
Compared to Echinacea ‘Ruby Giant’, an unpatented plant and the original seed parent in the breeding line, the new variety has orange rather than red purple flowers.
Compared to Echinacea paradoxa, an unpatented plant and the original pollen parent in the breeding line, the new variety is shorter, orange rather than yellow, with broader ray florets, and with ray florets slightly rather than strongly reflexed.
Compared to Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,839, the new variety is shorter and more branched.
This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:                1. medium, bright orange flowers with broad ray florets,        2. well-branched flower stalks,        3. low habit, and        4. excellent vigor.        
This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.